Parade of Phalaenopsis

This is a discussion on Parade of Phalaenopsis within the Phalaenopsis, Oncidium, & Intergenerics IN BLOOM forums, part of the Orchid Photography category; Looks awesome. All of them are cheering you and wishing you a speedy recovery!!....

They are the best house plants ever invented I think, although They just don't like my greenhouse conditions. I grow them in my bathroom, after the store bought flowers are over, and when they have gown a new leaf or two, put them in a less heated spare bedroom to encourage more flower spikes, but they very rarely produce as good a display a second time. But I would not want to be without them.

Geoff, mine never do well. But, this group got new "experimental" treatment this year. I chose a well protected corner of the back porch and put a step style shelf there with the phals. I sat some heavy wood baskets and such around them so they wouldn't fall over and arranged them so I could easily reach them to spray. Basically in three months I may have watered them 4 or 5 times in total. I only watered when the daytime temps rose above 65 and they could get lots of sun. I sprayed for bugs and rot, no fertilizer of any kind, with an abnormally weak mix so I could spray extra and let them have a little smidge of misting from the sprayer. They got so dry the pots were light as air a couple times before I would water again. But it worked. I thought so little water would kill them and instead this spring they look like grocery store phals. Multiple branches, and perfect flowers. I let them stay outside even when nighttime temps were in the 40's. Only one phal got a couple leaves that look icky from it, the others did fine. I am beginning to learn some of my orchids actually need that cool snap. I had been raising orchids for nearly a decade but it is still hard to leave them out in the cold like that, dry and neglected. lol When they started to spike I put them in a corner of the greenhouse where they got good sun and water every 3 or 4 days. I haven't started the blooming fertilizer back yet, another week or so and I will. I am learning to watch the local orchid societies newsletter so I know what week they start and stop. It has made a huge difference with mine.

This plant was so difficult I finally attached it to the outside of a pot and it finally took off. I have had it at least five years, this is the first blooming. I think it is some variation of Iwanagara Apple Blossom.

Other than being difficult, what made you turn the pot upside down? That looks like an excellent solution for the ones with the urge to put roots outside of the pot. Think that would work for a phal? also how would your watering habits change? Sorry for the question brigade...I am a windowsill grower, I have a couple of candidates...wanted to pick you brain a bit. Was this one left out with those phals? I appreciate your ideas!!

Other than being difficult, what made you turn the pot upside down? That looks like an excellent solution for the ones with the urge to put roots outside of the pot. Think that would work for a phal? also how would your watering habits change? Sorry for the question brigade...I am a windowsill grower, I have a couple of candidates...wanted to pick you brain a bit. Was this one left out with those phals? I appreciate your ideas!!

They grow and attach so well on the outside of clay pots...seemed like an easy way to hang as well by putting the hanger through the hole. There is also a second smaller clay pot inside. Layering the pots leaves open areas so roots dry out but give something to help keep them cooler. Clay pots hold water longer and when the breeze hits the wet clay pot it cools the air around it, keeping roots cooler and rot to a minimum.
Watering...if it's in a basket or hanging up it hangs on the edges of my vanda section where they get more sun, water and fertilizer. Since we live close to the coast some of these are watered twice a day...and yes even the cats and phals near the vandas get every day watering. My backyard is extremely sunny and I live about 1/2 mile from the Gulf of Mexico so my plants dry out fast fast. Green vanda roots well watered can go white in an hour or less. Watering more... you just have to make sure you spray for fungal and bacterial infections on a weekly basis year round and it's not an issue. I've seen a phal mounted onto a clay plate that normally sits under a clay pot. Orchid roots just love clay (and huge pieces of pine bark). Broken pots get stored and put throughout the baskets and into the bottoms of other pots. I also use those pieces to help make the plastic pots weigh more at the bottom to keep things from blowing all over the back yard.
I am glad I can share all this...I would color the world with orchids if I could. lol!

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